After months of anticipation, Marks & Spencer has today (Tuesday 15 August) officially opened its latest new store on Liverpool ONE’s South John Street. The new store covers 70,000 sq ft of trading space and offers local shoppers a fresh market-style Foodhall, stylish and spacious new Clothing, Home & Beauty departments, and the first ever, new-look M&S Coffee Shop.
Following a significant investment in the city’s local economy, the new M&S Liverpool ONE store is part of the retailer’s plans to invest c. £480 million in its store rotation programme, creating over 3,400 new jobs nationwide. Along with the existing M&S Liverpool team of 250 colleagues who have transferred to work in the new store, the retailer has welcomed over 70 new recruits.
The spacious new Clothing department offers shoppers plenty of style inspiration with the latest collections across womenswear, kidswear and menswear – with dedicated, neon-lit areas to spotlight M&S customer favourites including Per Una, Autograph and Goodmove. A transformed M&S Beauty department showcases popular products including the Apothecary collection and the new M&S Fresh Elements skincare range.
The store is also home to the very first, new-look M&S Coffee Shop. The exciting new Hospitality concept is a great pre or post-shop pit stop, offering a transformed menu with a selection of freshly made sandwiches and pastries, chilled drinks – including the iconic Colin the Caterpillar™ & Percy Pig™ Slushees – and a great selection of delicious cakes and treats.
Inside the brand-new M&S Foodhall, customers will find a new fresh-market feel, with displays brimming with great quality, trusted value produce from M&S Select Farms, a show-stopping bakery offering fresh, daily-baked bread and pastries and a dedicated M&S Wine Shop.
Rob Deacon, Senior Asset Manager at Grosvenor, commented: “It has been fantastic working with the M&S team to help them achieve their vision of delivering a modern and enticing showcase space which provides an enhanced experience for their customers. To be the location of choice within Liverpool for another retail giant’s flagship store evidences the fantastic work we do for brands and operators alike.”
Store Manager Kirsty Williams, who has worked at M&S for over 10 years, said: “We are thrilled to officially open our brand-new store in Liverpool ONE today. The last few weeks have been so exciting for us all as we’ve seen the store take shape, and I’d like to thank everyone in the team for all their hard work to make sure everything is ready for our loyal customers today.
“The store is an exciting investment in the future of M&S in Liverpool, and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all the new features that the store has to offer. Along with our existing Liverpool team of 250 colleagues, we’re really pleased to introduce over 70 new recruits to M&S Liverpool ONE, who can’t wait to meet everyone. With an amazing new, fresh market feel Foodhall and a Clothing & Home department which is the perfect place to shop your M&S favourites, we really do have the best of M&S here for everyone to enjoy!”
The opening of M&S Liverpool ONE completes the evolution of the former Debenhams unit, following the recent opening of Gravity MAX on the remaining upper two floors, marking Gravity UK’s biggest investment (£10 million) and its largest site (100,000 sq ft) to date.